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The JFK tragedy

The shots, the chaos and many ensuing conspiracy theories: 22 November 1963 is a day that Dallas will never forget. The murder of President John F. Kennedy is one of the most terrible, yet impressive events in American history. The story of Kennedy’s life and in particular this dark day are told in great detail in the Sixth Floor Museum in the centre of Dallas.

Originally, the Sixth Floor Museum was a distribution and storage centre for school books, which then became world famous when President Kennedy was shot from the 6th floor in 1963. When the Texas School Book Depository moved out in 1970, many Dallas residents hoped that the building would be torn down. Instead, the Dallas County Administration moved in. The 5th and infamous 6th floors remained empty however, until the current Sixth Floor Museum was inaugurated on President’s Day in 1989.

 Dealey Plaza

Dallas

The X on the asphalt

President Kennedy was shot at 12:30 pm as he rode through the city in an open limousine. The X marked on the asphalt in front of Dealey Plaza is a silent reminder of the brutal murder and marks the exact location where Kennedy was hit by the bullets. Many people dodge the traffic to risk taking a quick photo on this spot. However, it is much safer to do this from the pavement.

The infamous window

The museum encompasses 2 floors. The 6th floor will give you a glimpse into the life of JFK and an impression of the time in which he lived. Yet the main focus of the exhibit is of course the murder and the ensuing events. The window from where Lee Harvey Oswald shot the president has been blocked off, but the rest of the area has been almost completely restored to its original state as it was in 1963. A very special but sinister place. The 7th floor also hosts temporary exhibits on themes related to the murder.

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Shots were fired from the 6th floor

Conspiracy theories

50 years after the murder, there are still numerous conspiracy theories in which Lee Harvey Oswald was not a lone shooter and more people were involved in the assassination of the president. The museum explicates several of these theories. If you had no doubts about who assassinated the president, you will certainly have some after seeing this exhibit: the theories will make your head spin.